Connecting means



April 26, 1938. H. A. DOUGLAS 2,115,012

CONNECTING MEANS Original Filed Jan. 18, 1933 INVZ FOK 37 25 7 6 ATTORNLYS limits A Dcushs Patented Apr. 26, 1938 CONNECTING MZEAN S HarryA. Douglas, Bronson, Mich, assignor to Kingston Products Corporation, acorporation of Indiana.

Original application January 18, 1933, Serial No. 652,290. Divided andthis application October 28, 1936, Serial No. 107,978

1 Claim.

This invention relates to connecting means, more particularly forelectrical conductors, and the principal object of my invention is toprovide new and improved connecting means of this type. Other objectswill appear hereinafter as the description of the invention proceeds.

The present application is a division of my co-pending application,Serial Number 652,290, filed January 18, 1933.

In the drawing accompanying this specification, and forming part of thisapplication, I have shown, for purposes of illustration, several formswhich my invention may assume. In this draw- Figure l is an axialsection of connecting means embodying my invention, certain parts beingshown in elevation,

' Figure 2 is an elevational View on a smaller scale showing theconnecting means of Figure 1 in use in transverse position,

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an axial sectional view of another embodiment of myinvention,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 4.

i In the illustrative construction of Figure 1, I have shown aconventional spark-plug i such as is commonly used in internalcombustion engines and having the usual central electrode terminating atthe top of the plug in a threaded stud 2 to which, in accordance withcustomary,

' practice, is connected the high tension lead of the electric ignitionsystem, by means of a nut (not shown) screwed upon the stud 2. Incertain motor block constructions, for example, where the spark-plug isreceived in rather a deep pocket in the motor block, it is frequentlydifiicult to attach the lead to the stud 2 by ordinary connecting meansin which the lead approaches the stud in a transverse direction. Inaccordance with my invention, I have provided improved connecting meansby which the lead may be connected to the spark-plug by the simplerectilinear movement of a snap terminal either axially, as shown inFigure 1, or transversely as shown in Figure 2, and, in one aspect ofthe invention without the addition of any parts to the spark-plug.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 through 3, I have shown a hollow metallicjack or socket H portion 3 to which the lead wire t (see Figure 2) isaxially connected in any suitable manner.

The jack 3 is here shown as having a plurality of transversely relatedbores or recesses therein, one of said bores, such as the bore or recess5, being coaxial with the jack and the other, the bore 6, beingtransverse thereto. In this instance these bores desirably intersectperpendicularly and are served by a biasing means,

here shown as including a single spring pressed ball detent l, desirablyof steel.

In this instance, the ball detent i has a conical seat 8, terminating inan opening 9, which permits a portion of the ball I to be projectedthrough the opening 9 into the bores 5 and t, and the ball is urgedtoward its seat by a helical spring l carried by the jack 3 through theintermediation of a short spring barrel H, the axis of which is shown ascoinciding with the axis of the opening 9 and thus at right angles toaxes of the bores and 6 at their intersection that is, at right anglesto both of the general directions .7 of movement of the stud 2 into therespective bores or recesses 5, 6. The spring barrel ll is here shown ashaving an annular flange l2 seated on a shoulder 13 formed bya'counter-bore to the conical seat 8. In order to hold the spring 7barrel assembled with the iack 'proper, metal 14, from the walls of thecounter-bore may be turned inwardly against the flange 12. The free endof the spring barrel l I has its margin turned inwardly to form a flangel5 serving as an abutment for an end of the spring I0.

In the embodiment of Figures 1, 2, and 3, the spark-plug stud 2 isshown'as having screwed therein a plug terminal it having an annulargroove ll into which the ball 1 is adapted to snap. The plug terminal 16is here shown as having a frustro-conical free end l8, and also afrustro-conical surface 19 leading to the annular groove ll.

In Figure 2 the plug terminal 16 is shown as disposed in the bore 6,instead of in the bore 5, as in Figures 1 and 3. Consequently, in Figure2 the jack 3 extends transversely of the terminal it instead oflongitudinally thereof as in Fig-' ure 1. V

In Figures 4 and 5, I have shown a jack 2a which may have theperpendicularly intersecting bores 2i and 22 therein which boreshaveltheinternal transverse screw-threads 23 and it cut therein. The jack 2!] isadapted to receive the threaded stud 2 directly therein, without aspecial plug terminal such as It, the bores 2| and 22 being of the samediameter and of a diameter relatively larger than theover-all diameterof the threaded stud 2, so that the stud is spaced from one side of abore and so that the jack may be placed over the stud by a rectilinearmovement. A tight engagement between the stud 2 and the jack 22 issecured by means of a biasing means including the steel ball detent 25,which is pressed into the bores 2 l 22 by a helical spring 26 housed bya spring "barrel 2'! carried by the jack in a manner similar to thatexplained in connection with the spring barrel H. The ball 25 ispartially pressed'through a detent aperture 28, the axis 29 of which isperpendicular to the axis 39 of the .bore 2! and is also perpendicularto the axis of the bore 22 which intersects the axis of the bore 2| atthe point 3|, through which point the line 29 also passes. Regardlesstherefore of which borethe stud2 is received in, the detent 25 pressesthe stud against the inner face 32 of the wall 33 which is unaperturedand which is common to both the bores 2i and 22, and the threads of thestud 2 are thus caused to securely but yieldingly interengage witheither the threads 23 or the threads 24, as the case may be. The ball 25and spring 26 are desirably self-centering with respect to the aperture28 and the axis 29 which is not always possible with detents pressed bya leaf spring.

As best shown in Figure 6, the threads 23 and I 24 are right-handthreads to mate with the customary right-hand threads of the stud 2 andthe threads 23 and 24 being transversely related but not overlapping, ashere shown, tend to converge at a point 34 which is substantially thecenter of the inner surface 32 of the wall 33 and is also substantiallydirectly in line with the line 29 in the direction in which the detent25 is pressed. Thus whether the stud 2 isreceived in the bore 2| or thebore 22, it is pressed squarely against the surface 32, so that itsthreads are.

pressed squarely into intercalation with the threads 23 or 24, as thecase may be, and in either event, it will find sufiicient threads uponthis wall extending in the proper direction to effect the secure butyielding engagement between the stud and jack heretofore described.

The screw threads 23 and 24 are desirably of the same pitch as theconventional pitch for the screw threads of the stud 2, but are of lessheight, so that the threads of the stud 2 may slide over the threads 23or 24 as the case may be, but be pressed into intimate intercalationtherewith by the spring detent 25.

In the instance shown in Figure 4 electrical connection is made to thejack 20 by a wire, the end 35 of which is bared of its insulation 36 andis passed through an exteriorly threaded sleeve 31 and foldedback as at38 upon the exterior'of this sleeve. The sleeve 31 is then threadedly.received in the interiorly threaded socket 39 in the neck 40 of the jack20, the wire 35 thus being securely clamped between the threads of theparts 31 and 40 affording a good mechanical and electrical connectionbetween the wire and the jack. To provide room for the bent over portion38 of the wire, the sleeve 31 in the region of this por- 'jack whenscrewed upon the sleeve portion 31 desirably abuts a shoulder 43 on thesleeve.

It will be apparent that one of the ways in which the wire 4 shown inFigure 2 may be con-' tionary, and, on the other hand, the stud,'or

plug, the relatively movable part. It will be apparent that in either ofthe illustrated embodiments the socket means and the plug or stud arerelatively so constructed and arranged as to give a snap or holdingaction.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thateach of the illustrated embodiments of my invention provides .a new andimproved connecting means readily and conveniently constructed andassembled, and accordingly, each accomplishes the principal object of myinvention. On the other hand, it also will be obvious to those skilledin the art that the illustrated embodiment of my invention may bevariously changed and modified, so that in a given combination the jackor socket means, and the plug or stud, and the biasing means may assumeindividually different forms, some of which are further illustrated inmy co-pending application Serial Number 652,290, and in my co-pendingapplication Serial Number 107,977, filed Oct. 28, 1936. From which itwill be further apparent that said-elements of the combinations, singlyor collectively, may be embodied in other combinations than thoseillustrated, without departing from the spirit of my invention, orsacrificing all of the advantages thereof, and that accordingly,departures may be made without departmeans adapted to constrict saidplug receiving recesses at their intersection, said movable means beingconstructed and arranged for movement in a direction at an angle to theaxes of said plug receiving recesses in response to insertion of a plugconductor terminal into either of said plugreceiving recesses; biasingmeans, including resilient element extending in the general direction ofmovement of said movable means, constructed and arranged to resilientlybias said movable means in a direction to constrict said plug receivingrecesses to press the plug conductor terminal laterally against a wallof that recess in which the plug conductor terminal is disposed, toresiliently hold the plug conductor terminal in said recess; saidbiasing means comprising abutment means, including a tubular member andmeans fastening said tubular member by and at one end to said socketmeans so that said tubular member is disposed in substantial alignmentwith said direction of movement of said movable means, said tubularmember being so constructed and arranged that it serves as an abutment.for the end of said resilient element remote from said movable means.

HARRY, A; DOUGLAS. 7 I

' ing from the spirit and scope of the invention and 7

